Cobra Spotlight- Austin Akins & JD Dykes, Wrestling

Nov 17, 2013

The "Cobra Spotlight" is a weekly highlight of a student-athlete
at Coker College. Each week we take a different athlete from a
different sport and display some facets to get more familiar with
them. This week we take a look at Austin Akins and JD Dykes,
members of the wrestling team.

Name: Austin Akins

Sport: Wrestling

Position: Heavyweight

Hometown: Matoaca, Virginia

Year: Sophomore

Major: Biology

Why did you choose Coker? I chose Coker because
coach Cy Wainwright won a national championship in the same weight
class I compete in. I figured wrestling for a coach with his
credentials would give me the best opportunity to win a national
title as well.

What is your best memory at Coker (athletic
related)? Wrestling in the finals of our first open
tournament.

What is your best memory at Coker (non-athletic
related)? The talent show during our wrestling team
camping retreat.

Which athletic team would you play on at Coker other
than your own? I would say baseball because it was my best
sport in high school.

Favorite class: Lifetime fitness

Favorite professor: I like all of them,
actually. The Nutty Professor is always number one in my heart
though.

Plans after graduation: A grad assistant job
for a wrestling program would be ideal. I want to be a physical
therapist or a weightlifting coach for a collegiate program, but
coaching wrestling is always an option.

Favorite movie: Rocky Balboa. Billy Madison and
Crash are up there too.

Favorite type of music: Hip-hop, but I also
dabble in a little old-school jazz flute – mainly Ron
Burgundy.

Favorite food: Chicken curry, lamb over rice
and cheesecake

Favorite sports team: Oklahoma Sooners, New
York Yankees and New Orleans Saints

What is something people may not know about
you? As of less than six months ago, I thought that I
would never compete collegiately again. Also, that I do very little
with my life other than wrestling, school and Netflix.

Do you have a nickname? If so, how did you get
it? I have a group of eight friends back home that all
have animal nicknames and I was the owl; only a small part of the
reason why I have an owl tattoo.